


Never Too Late

by firejasmine



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 08:49:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11055516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firejasmine/pseuds/firejasmine
Summary: Daniil needs some comfort. His ex-teammate is the only person he can think of.





	Never Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> Um... first fanfic? Leave feedback if you can because I'm a rookie at this and believe me, I need the help! Basically I like angst and even though it's been a year I will never, ever get over Dany's demotion.

"You're still in Monaco? Want to meet up at mine?" 

It was a simple text but it had taken Dany at least half an hour to write. Tweaking the tone, overthinking every word, but eventually he took a deep breath and pushed the button, watching the message fly off into cyberspace as he laid back on his couch with a huff. Now only to wait. He knew Dan had a habit of replying immediately to texts and it was a habit he was relying on. Sure enough, barely a minute had passed when his phone buzzed and Dan's brief reply appeared on the screen.

"sure. be there in an hour?"

After sending back his confirmation, Dany spent a restless hour wandering his apartment, glancing through the tangle of buildings outside his windows to see a small sliver of shining sea, the principality still bathed in the early summer sunshine that had graced the streets over the racing weekend just gone. But he couldn't shake the feelings that had come over him since his unexpected retirement from the race. Disappointment. Anger. Nervousness. More than anything: dread. His stomach flipped uncomfortably, and then leapt when he heard the dissonant buzz of the intercom.

"Hey, man! What's up?" Dan greeted him at the door with a trademark wide grin, his dark curls sticking out from underneath the baseball cap he was wearing - Dany surmised from a quick glance that he must have been out for a run when he texted him. The younger man managed a small smile as he let him in, but was otherwise quiet as he closed the door. When the latch clicked, Dany took a breath and leant his head against the cool wood for a moment.

"I just... wanted to talk. About stuff. Stuff that you'd understand," he explained hesitantly. Another sigh slipped through his lips. He gestured for Dan to sit on the couch and shortly joined him there, his hands dangling between his knees and his head bowed. It was a posture of defeat. When Dany spoke, it was little more than a murmur, and Dan had to lean in close to catch the words.

"When Sergio knocked me out of the race on Sunday... you know, that happens to everyone," he began. "You have bad luck here and there, it's part of the racing, right? But... it just sort of hit me. I'm in that situation where I can't even afford bad luck!" Dany's breath hitched, and he paused before continuing. He met Dan's eyes with a serious look.  
"Dr Marko's been onto me. That's why I wanted to talk to you, you know him, you know what it's like. Kind of," Dany said, glancing away for a second. He realised Dan didn't truly know what it was like. For a second he felt a wave of hatred that Dan still wore the Red Bull race suit, while Dany pulled on a Toro Rosso one. It had seemed so little time ago that they matched. But he shook his head. Anger towards Dan, whom he knew to be his friend, did nothing. "You know him, anyway. And he said... basically, I'm on my last chance. Not in so many words. But you know the way he tells you stuff like that. Through his actions, and the way he avoids you at races."  
Dany held his hands up, palms facing him, and flexed his fingers. It felt good to focus on that for a moment, a way to take his mind away from the swell of emotions he could feel tightening around his chest and forcing his breaths to be shorter. "So... what do I do? I'm not getting into Red Bull again. Not with Max there. That's... gone. I'm in a junior team with nowhere to graduate to!" For the first time Dany raised his voice, and it grated with the desperate need he felt. "And then there's Pierre, who everybody knows is going to be in F1 soon! And who do you think will drop out to make room for him? The guy who just finished sixth in Monaco? Or the reject from the senior team? It's... there's... I'm on borrowed time! There's nowhere for me anymore!"

The words burst out of him and Dany's shoulders slumped down as sobs choked out from his throat, and he pressed his fingertips against his eyes to try and stop the sharp prick of tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. Now it was all out there in front of him. In his own terror-filled words, he had lain out his fears. It all seemed so much worse now he had admitted it. But he felt the steady pressure of a hand on his back, a gentle touch he knew was meant to reassure him, and it gave Dany a small push towards recovery. The hand made slow circles over his back and the young man took several deep breaths and shuddered only once as he did so. The tears dried on his fingers. Eventually, he felt some strength return and he sat up, sniffing loudly as he rubbed his sleeve over his face to try and remove the dregs of his crying session, but when he met Dan's kind, sympathetic eyes he sighed and slumped down against the cushions. "Sorry," he muttered.

It wouldn't have been Dan's first instinct to sit there and let his friend cry, but even he could sense the need that Dany had to get it all out, and he had done so in such a raw, emotional way that Dan felt his own chest tighten. After all, all the Red Bull young drivers had faced this pressure or something akin to it from Dr Marko. But it terrified him to see how far it had pushed Dany, how little hope the younger man had left for his career. Dan smiled at him when he sat up, and shook his head to brush away the apology. But even as he did so, his mind was drawing up blanks for how he could deny Dany's words, make it all go away with some simple solution. They lived a dangerous game, and Dan had seen enough young drivers fall at enough hurdles to know Dany was telling the truth, that it was only a matter of time before he was replaced. Maybe he'd make it to the end of the season - who knew? But it was hard for him, and therefore he knew it was far harder for Dany, to see any options after that.

"That's rough, Dany. I'm sorry," he said, the sincerity in his tone clear. "You're a great man, and a great driver, you know! You just... found some bad timing. Bad luck," Dan echoed his friend's earlier sentiments as he struggled to think of anything else to say, his gaze roving over the small apartment as he searched for some inspiration, something to relight the fire of hope within Dany. Soon, he smiled slowly at his friend, and shuffled across the couch closer to him.

"But, you know... it's never too late, alright? Yeah, maybe you've kind of... reached the end of the line with Red Bull..." he trailed off, muttering the words he really didn't want to say. "But that doesn't make it over for you! I swear! I know Marko makes it seem like it's the only path or whatever, especially when you're a kid, but... it's not." Dan paused to clap his hand on Dany's shoulder and squeeze lightly. "You can do it somewhere else, you know! You have podiums! Good ones, too! That's worth a lot!" Dan let out a laugh that was only slightly uncomfortable, and when Dany turned his head to meet his friend's eyes, there was confusion in his gaze.

"So you think I should... go to another team?" he asked, the derision clear in his tone. "Nobody wants rejects from Red Bull. We don't go anywhere once both teams are finished with us. We just... leave. You can't say that's not true!" he insisted, his voice gaining some energy again. "Look at Jev. Or Seb Bourdais and Seb Buemi. Or Jaime! If we don't win a race - not a podium, win... we don't get anywhere. There's only you, Max and Sebastian have ever made it..." Dany slumped again, but this time took a deep breath and clenched his jaw, determined not to cry again. He met Dan's eyes with a resigned gaze. "What do I do? Tell me."

Dan's eyebrows pulled together as he frowned deeply, an expression of mingled desperation, despair and disappointment for his friend . He sniffed, the emotion of the moment getting to him. He hated to see Dany this way, and finally just pulled him in for a hug, squeezing him tightly in the hope that his actions could say more than his words ever did.  
"I don't know, Dany... but you could make it somewhere else. Even if it's not F1," he murmured as he felt the younger man shudder with sobs again. "Just know... it's never too late to start living."


End file.
